Our story

“Recently that distant dream of starting a coffee shop was written into the universe and at that very first word, began to take form into something more. Something breathing. Something alive. Something that had to be spoken in a deliberate way, in a course that made it real. It may seem silly, but we had to come to terms with the weight of the dream. We want this. I want this. A coffee shop is more than a distant dream. It's something that I have wanted since high school—something I never thought I could have. And, if I'm being completely honest, something I never thought I deserved.

I can trace it back to ninth grade in Crossville, Tennessee, but maybe it started before then. Every Monday morning at 6:00 am, a group of girls from my church would meet together at Perks Coffee Shop and share our hearts as we sipped on white chocolate mochas, dirty chai teas, and hazelnut lattes. During these sacred Mondays, we would strengthen our relationships, discipline, and our faith. Led by our Women's Leader, Joanna, we would talk about an array of topics, but the center of our mornings was always the same question: "How did you see God this week?" Some saw Him during yesterday's worship, others during scripture reading, others after a merciful conversation or apology, and some of us saw Him in the ever-changing colors of the Tennessee sky. Our conversations would motivate us to seek Him out daily. I remember it as one of the first chapters in my walk when I experienced real community and saw real faith in that small group of young women.
Perks became my spot. I remember sitting there with Joanna one day, talking my heart out (as I often did) about what I wanted with my life. I said I wanted to travel. I remember I was obsessed with non-profits and their causes. I so badly wanted to grow up to take a job at Toms Shoes or work for Invisible Children (Oh geez, I know!) But it would drive me crazy wanting to get out and travel and do things and meet people! I wanted to have a coffee shop in Portland-- like every other 16 year old theatre kid with multiple peace sign t-shirts, a journal full of dreams, and an ever growing collection of Simon and Garfunkel. I was hungry for more of life's adventures and desperate to do something amazing with my life.
I wish I could go back in time and tell 16 year old, slightly naïve Courtney that some causes aren't all what they appear to be. Some adventures take time and others catch us off guard. I wish I could tell her that she's going to do all of these things and meet a goofy and charming bearded man who's going to help her do even more. I wish I could tell her that there are storms up ahead—very many storms, and to brace herself because they're coming up quick. I would tell her to keep her head high and feet planted. I would tell her to have the faith to jump when you're scared because God really does have a plan, and it really will work out. I would tell her that she's going to have that distant dream—that it's going to be a reality.
And it's going to be amazing.
So much has happened already just because of making the decision that yes, we are doing this. That distant dream has developed into a rough timeline and an even rougher sketch of a floorplan. That distant dream called up handymen to get plumbing and renovation estimates. It met with the bank and the economic developer of Martin. That distant dream met with the owner of the Looking Glass and soaked each word of one who had come before and made her own transition from dream to reality. That distant dream sat on the clever names of other coffee shops and tried each one, turning them over, and seeing how they fit until coming up with its very own name:
Martin Coffeehouse
The community's coffeehouse. Their place to have their own 6:00 am meetings. Their place to meet with friends for a quick visit before passing through town. Their place to drink my coffee made with all of the love and hope that has been building up inside me since that first cup of coffee I had in Perks ten years ago. Their place to write out all of their distant dreams, and maybe (hopefully) their place to see God.”
— Courtney Sellers, Owner (written in response to naming the shop in 2017)

1907 - 1997

We are so proud to own 407 South Lindell Street and to be a part of the history of Martin, Tennessee.

This is a list of businesses that occupied our current coffee and bakery after the fire of 1907 burned down all buildings but 1.

1911 to 1997

Cash Economy

Martin Hardware and Furniture

Benny Taylor Antiques

Jim & Gina Johnson's

Yesterday's Antiques

Country Cupboard

Mason Lodge

Hall Moody Business College

State Farm Insurance

Garland Merryman

Johnny Truck's

Cash & Carry

Wanda Vowell's

Apple Barrell

Live Oak Office

Fernweh Fox 2016 - 2022

Fox Weddings 2016 - 2022

Martin's - Coffee & Bakery 2016 - Current day

Good Morning Martin 2017 - 2022

Fiddle & Clay 2021 - Current day

Fox Booksellers 2021 - Current day

2016

When John and I first walked into the property on Lindell Street in 2016, we were humbled by the history of this progressive era structure. It had been partially restored in the downstairs but still needed a lot of love. In our daily conversations, we would dream about someday owning the blue building on Lindell and created stories and scenarios of how we could live our best lives in that space. After months of "What if's", prayer, and dreaming, we received a call from the owner who was finally ready to make a deal. We moved our production business, Fernweh Fox, into the building and tried our best to fill up the space with furniture, desks, and a giant whiteboard to house our giant ideas.

We installed our professional production gear, spent late nights editing films, and took turns racing each other across the concrete floor on our rolling office chairs. The space was a wide open shell that allowed our minds to explore new ideas. When we first bought this building we had the intention of moving both our marketing and branding business Fernweh Fox and our wedding company Fox Weddings in and only having a small coffee bar that served pour over coffee to Martin, but one idea I couldn't shake was the thought that we weren't doing justice to the story of this historic space. I told John about my idea to transform this space into a place of service and gratitude, a place to inspire others, a place for the community. I explained that this building was a wonderful creative studio, but the blue building on Lindell was meant to be more. That's when we created the name Martin Coffeehouse. We didn't know anything about coffee, except how to drink it, but we knew we were fast learners. We immediately started preparing the space with the idea of service in mind. We climbed ladders, patched holes, painted the floor, sanded boards, and sealed the walls. We researched roasters, crafted a menu, designed a logo, purchased supplies, and went furniture shopping.

2017

Before there was a menu on the wall or lights on our awning or any kind of formal training under our belts, Courtney wrote this proclamation in early 2017:

"Recently that distant dream of starting a coffee shop was written into the universe and at that very first word, began to take form into something more. Something breathing. Something alive. Something that had to be spoken in a deliberate way, in a course that made it real. It may seem silly, but we had to come to terms with the weight of the dream. We want this. I want this. A coffee shop is more than a distant dream. It's something that I have wanted since high school—something I never thought I could have. And, if I'm being completely honest, something I never thought I deserved.
…
So much has happened already just because of making the decision that yes, we are doing this. That distant dream has developed into a rough timeline and an even rougher sketch of a floorplan. That distant dream called up handymen to get plumbing and renovation estimates. It met with the bank and the economic developer of Martin. That distant dream met with the owner of the Looking Glass and soaked each word of one who had come before and made her own transition from dream to reality. That distant dream sat on the clever names of other coffee shops and tried each one, turning them over, and seeing how they fit until coming up with its very own name: Martin Coffeehouse.
The community's coffeehouse. Their place to have their own 6:00 am meetings. Their place to meet with friends for a quick visit before passing through town. Their place to drink my coffee made with all of the love and hope that has been building up inside me since that first cup of coffee I had in Perks ten years ago. Their place to write out all of their distant dreams, and maybe (hopefully) their place to see God."

In March of 2017, we began building the first room for stage 1 of our kitchen. We wanted to pay cash for as much as we could. We found some unfinished cabinets and butcher block from Lowe’s for under $3,000. We cut and planed all of the reclaimed wood from the second floor of the coffeehouse and used that to create the siding of our coffee bar. Soon after things starting getting busy, we bought another section of unfinished cabinets and butcher block and tied it to our original bar and pulled more b-board out of the second story of our building to finish out the the expansion of the bar.

In June, we took our third Letter Trip to Nepal where we were able to speak to several schools about the importance of literacy and finishing their education. Along with delivering school supplies and letters of encouragement to the kids, we were also able to serve the teachers at these schools with gifts to better help them in their classrooms. It was an incredible experience that will stay with me forever.

When we returned to the states, we picked up right where we left off with work on the coffeehouse. Taking fresh inspiration from the tea houses and coffee shops in Nepal, we had our hearts refreshed and our minds laser focused on our vision for what this coffeehouse could be.

JCPenney was closing in Union City so we bought a few of their displays to put next to the coffee bar. We really didn’t know what we were doing, but we were not afraid to try things out and change them. I can’t count the number of times we rearranged all of the seating and displays.

Every motion was done with an attitude of restoration. Every purchase, every design, every experimental recipe. On August 18, 2017 we opened our doors to the community of Martin, Tennessee. They flooded our shop with support, and have continued to support the story of this shop on Lindell Street ever since.

At the close of December, reflecting on all that 2017 had brought us and all the ways that we’d grown in our community, we were inspired to create something to celebrate this soybean-loving town. Good Morning Martin became our daily greeting as we shared the positive news and local business updates within our community. We highlighted shops within town and created a brand to show pride and love for where you live.

2018

In March of 2018, our little town of Martin was delighted to find a white car randomly parked in the middle of the (then) empty field across from Walmart. It soon became a major tourist spot and even the inspiration for a local folk song. Our response? Create a latte in the white car’s honor— it’s delicious by the way!

In August, we did our first teacher giveaway which offered one free drink to teachers and professors! It was a very fun giveaway for us because we got to see so many different teachers come in from all over.

In November, our lives changed forever as we welcomed Henry Anderson Sellers into the world. Nothing in our lives has ever compared. He was born on the first snow of the season in Martin, Tennessee with a surprisingly full head of red hair. Henry has grown up right there with us in the shop. He’s been completely spoiled by customers and friends since before he was born, and we could not be more grateful for everyone’s support and love.

In December, we hosted a Christmas Bazaar where different members of the community sold their homemade items to locals! It was a great success and SO much fun!

2019

In 2019, we were approached by a prominent couple in the town of Huntingdon, Tennessee to enter into a partnership with them and create a sister coffeehouse to Martin Coffeehouse called The 1822. With our manager at the time, Rachel Sellers, John, and I worked to replicate correcting all the little mistakes we had made the first time. Complete with ice cream and a full replicate of our menu, it was a small but special space, and the locals loved it! We oversaw the management of the shop for several months and sold our share after they got a feel for running it themselves.

In the middle of 1822 operations, we expanded our bakery side and created a sub brand called Lindell Street Bakery. Mostly known for our homemade cupcakes and addicting flavors, we had a great time making and packaging cupcakes for the city of Martin.

Additionally, Martin Coffeehouse took on a new look adding the iconic bear into the logo!
Here’s the story of the bear below:

Once upon a time in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, there lived an adventurous bear named Martin. Martin loved to climb trees, visit campers, and rummage through their cans for traces of his favorite treat: coffee. Martin had dreams of traveling to California to become a real Hollywood bear actor. One day he took off on a long journey out west and stopped only for a quick nap and some coffee. When he finally arrived in Hollywood, he auditioned for all the bear roles, but unfortunately, he just didn’t have the “it” factor they were looking for. Martin was devastated and took refuge in the Redwood Forest. There, he climbed to the top of the trees and looked out. He felt the breeze, he heard the birds, he smelled the coffee— coffee!?! From the tops of the Redwoods, there was the distinct aroma of coffee carried miles upon miles from its brewer to the tops of these trees. It was so strong and so delicious smelling. Martin knew exactly what he needed in this moment to recover from his Hollywood hit: a strong cup of coffee. Martin was determined to follow his nose. He followed it to the Rocky Mountains where he met up with a couple of grizzlies fighting over a beehive. Martin asked if they’d like to sit down for some coffee and talk about the bear times, but these two grizzlies were not much in terms of conversation, and Martin felt that he must keep moving to locate this smell. He continued past the Ozarks and caught a riverboat across the Mississippi. The alluring aroma of arabica was growing in strength and Martin found himself in West Tennessee, headed straight for a small college town. He located the origin of the coffee in a local shop on Lindell Street where he slurped down the best tasting cup of coffee on either side of the Mississippi. Martin was overjoyed with his coffee and found himself truly fulfilled! He was welcomed in the town by the friendly baristas and townspeople. In fact, Martin enjoyed himself so much he decided he might just kick up his paws and stay awhile. The baristas know his order by heart and have even made him a spokes bear for the company. Martin the bear has become a true star at this coffeehouse— they even named the place in his honor: Martin’s Coffee and Bakery.

2020

The year 2020 is a year our world will never forget, and that is certainly the case for our coffeehouse. As many challenges as it brought us, it showed us more than any other year that our community of Martin is strong, and they love our shop just as much as we do! This year may have tested our nerves, but it never tested our faith. We are forever grateful.

We began the year by rebranding from a split space holding both Martin Coffeehouse and Lindell Street Bakery into a shared space renamed Martin’s Coffee and Bakery. We added a whole new menu of toasted sandwiches to the shop that really sealed the deal with us being a favorite lunch spot for many locals!

After the allotted “Holiday season” ended, we were told to take down our iconic Edison bulb lighting from the exterior of our shop. With growing frustrations from our front road being closed due to construction of the new Martin Public Library, we felt it necessary to keep our lights up so that customers would know that we were open and that new travelers passing through might see lights and explore more of the businesses in our downtown area. This decision led to a number of letters threatening to fine us for our lights. Before we knew it a UT Martin student started a petition to keep our lights up. It got televised recognition, but in the end proved futile, as (you can see now in July of 2022) there are no lights on the front of our building; however we made some “Keep Martin Lit” stickers that still sell great even now.

In March of 2020, we had to close our doors from March 24th to May 14th due to Covid-19. It was a scary time for everyone, and our family was not immune to that fear. It’s hard to put into words just how devastating that day was to close our doors, but our faith is strong in the Lord and we know that He has blessed our shop for His good works. As soon as we were able and had a whole new team staffed and trained, we reopened. And our community has supported us Monday through Saturday ever since.

At the start of the year we were approached by a Tennessean non-profit that funds and paints murals on buildings. Walls for Women is a women-run non-profit dedicated to celebrating 100 years of women’s suffrage in Tennessee. Cities all over Tennessee such as Nolensville, Tullahoma, Manchester, Knoxville, and others have participated in this opportunity to both beautify and celebrate their historic downtowns. The whole thing would have been paid for by the Tennessee Arts Commission, meaning we could have added to the beauty and art of our downtown at no cost! Everything was set to go, but in June 2020 when the Historic Zoning Commission of the City of Martin got wind of what we were doing, not only did they shut it down, but they wrote a new law that stated all murals in the downtown area were banned. I tried to plead our case and the significance of public art but left the meeting defeated.

From the drama that arose from the mural ban compounded with the attention we received for our “historically unacceptable” Edison string lights, one board member referred to our loyal customer base as being in a cult. We laughed at the offensive comment and designed the beloved Coffee Cult design within 6 hours. Within 12 hours we were accepting online preorders. Our customers are loyal, but not because they’re in a cult, it’s because every day our team strives to give the best service we can. This shirt is still extremely popular and perfect for spooky October!

2020 is also the year we started the Artist Showcase program where different artists are able to display their work in our space for a month, have an opening event, and sell their work in our space. It is a wonderful way to celebrate art and gives community members a way to show their support to the arts as well!

2021

In 2021, we welcomed the sweet and super smart Claire Wisener as our new manager starting on the first of January. She blossomed with this new leadership and led our team into high sales days and so many fun staff nights. Claire never strayed from a challenge and became a huge asset to me as we navigated inflation as we’ve never seen before.

In 2021, we were still recovering from the effects of Covid-19 that year and the year before. In February 2021, as a way to supplement the income (and clear out the growing jungle in our apartment) we started selling houseplants inside the coffeehouse. Of course we had always decorated with plants and appreciated the aesthetic, but now we decided to take it more seriously, offer our plant knowledge to the community, and create the first independent house plant market in Martin. We called it Fiddle and Clay after the precocious fiddle leaf figs and the earthen vessels molded to hold them.

In our excitement of the jungle aesthetic, we wanted to lean into that feeling of being transported into another realm. Naturally, adding books for purchase was the next step. Much like plants, we had always had some personal books in the shop for customers to browse, but they were never available for purchase, and we wanted that to change. In April, we filled our shelves by the couch with stacks of used books for customers to peruse or purchase if interested. At the time, we had a sign that read Martin’s Used Books, which we now have revamped in all new shelving with the name Fox Booksellers.

In December, we started a project called Lindell’s Print Company which allowed us to purchase blank t-shirts and sweatshirts from a larger range of wholesalers so that we can finally keep our shirts stocked instead of constantly selling out! A good problem to have, but even better to have this solution!

Staff Christmas Party

2022

2022 has been an exciting year! One of the biggest changes of our lives came when we made the decision to sell our viral wedding company, Fox Weddings. This is a business that allowed us to travel internationally and all across the U.S. For many years, our calendars came second to the responsibilities of Fox Weddings, and although it was a business John started nearly 12 years ago, it was a good decision to sell and we are better for it.

We added a second location for Fiddle and Clay down the street into one side of our rental property and named it Fiddle and Clay’s Secret Garden Warehouse. It is a warehouse that holds all the plants that do not fit or are too big for the corner market inside Martin’s Coffee and Bakery. We also moved Fernweh Fox into that space so that we can finally spread out with our studio.

The Coffeehouse bathroom underwent a much needed renovation. That space was so much fun to design and we are truly proud to say , “Yes, we have a bathroom available. Last door on the left.” Another space that got a whole new look is Fox Booksellers, originally called Martin’s Used Books, our used bookstore took on a whole new look and even got accepted into the American Booksellers Association.

A few other changes include our new menu of rotating cookies straight from our bakery! From Nana’s Recipe to the Sea Salt Triple Chocolate, there is a flavor for everyone and they pair perfectly with a latte! Or a cold brew— which we also re-vamped this 5th year of business! Instead of using the Japanese Flash Cold Brew method, we adapted into the more preferred 24 hour cold water steep, creating a cold brew concentrate. This concentrate is now used for our in store cold brew, but we have also bottled them into growlers that you can take home and bring back for refills.

In October we invested $25,000 into Lindell’s Print Company to buy a 6-needle embroidery machine. We shortened the front of the shop where Fiddle and Clay was set up so we could move Fernweh Fox and Lindell’s Print Company into the back part of the space. Now 228 south Lindell holds 3 of our businesses. This was a big move for us and has allowed us to focus on media and making our own products.

We did our first mocktail event called Mocktails and Merriment. Our event was on the 23rd right when Martin was seeing record low temps. From 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm in single-digit temperatures, we had over 50 people come out to Mocktails and Merriment. We had no idea if this idea would work or not but we went for it and it paid off. After the event’s success, we quickly laid the plans for the next mocktail event in February of 2023 this time adding charcuterie boards.

We also develop our first flight. Right before the end of the year we worked on our southern menu coffee flight and our hot chocolate flight. It look a long time to get the right boards, tags, cups recipes but finally figured it out. Starting soon into 2023 we will be officially adding them to the shop.

Fiddle and Clay Secret Garden

2023

February 2023

In February we started our first annual Martin's Mocktails and Charcuterie Date Night!

March 2023

On March 3rd we welcomed our little Jack into the family! He weighed 6lb and 14oz and has been holding his head up and growing our hearts since day one. Jack is the missing piece to our family of four, and we don’t know how we ever got along without him!

May 2023

On May 1st our repurposed church pew finally came in to allow for more seating within the space. Reclaiming one-of-a-kind pieces like this pew is a great way for us to honor the history of our community.

After much oven drama, we were finally able to say goodbye to our old residential grade ovens and hello to our new commercial grade Vulcan on May 9th!

July 2023

July 25th we decided to put 228 South Lindell up for sale. As much as we have loved this property, we have bigger plans ahead!

Here is a Social Media Post from July 28th: “Things are heating up at the shop! If you heard rumors that we are building out a brunch menu then you heard right. So over the next month or so you will see lot of different items added to the menu. Some items will only be on the menu for a day others will be added permanently. Over the past 6 years we have developed the shop based on the communities feedback. We do not have a ‘grand opening’ date for the new menu but this is the first step in developing the shop into an everyday brunch business.”

That’s right! Big plans involving brunch at Martin’s Coffee and Bakery….but where will everyone sit?
Read for more!

August 2023

August 1st was the biggest day in our company's history. August 1st is the day that we signed papers and put money down to own the two buildings next to our coffee shop.
3 years ago in 2020, we approached both State Farm to our right and Unger and Godwin on our right to see if there was a chance that we could trade our second building (right down the road) and pay for their relocating. We knew it was a long shot and probably would not work. Buildings downtown do not come available often and if they do, they are mostly sold without anyone knowing that they were even for sale until the sale is final.
We will forever be thankful to Mr. Lane and Ms. Carol for giving us a shot at owning these buildings. The value of these buildings is priceless to us. having the ability to create an entranceway throughout all 3 buildings gives us the ability to expand our books, plants, and bakery. Now with this added space, we will be able to add a full breakfast and brunch menu.
When Mr. Lane asked if we still wanted to own the buildings, we were speechless. We had just bought a house, had a baby, and were working to expand our menu. This couldn’t be the right time… but God’s timing is so so good. We know He has a plan for our business, and our job is to get out of the way and honor it as best as we can!
This year Martin’s Coffee and Bakery turned 6 years old. What a year!